


Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

by trickytrinket



Series: Never Let Us Go [4]
Category: British Actor RPF, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Ballerina, Break Up, Drama, F/M, Heartbreak, Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-03-11
Packaged: 2018-03-17 09:58:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3524978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trickytrinket/pseuds/trickytrinket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carla Sunder’s career was suddenly taken away from her, while her boyfriend, Tom Hiddleston, was on his raise to fame. And those changes would cost them their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

Carla heard Tom talked with someone over his phone inside his bedroom, just his voice. Her mind couldn’t picture him, or didn’t want to picture him, she wasn’t sure either which one she would like to do at this moment. Shortly after that, she caught Ollie’s voice as the boy dragged away Tom’s luggage, putting them on the porch, ready to be picked up any minute, “You are leaving, Tom,” she mumbled. Carla didn’t even think to tear her eyes from the book she’s been reading.

Sighing, tired with another argument between them, Tom turned his attention to his girlfriend, “I can’t stay any longer, Carla. The car will be here in any minutes.”

Closing her book with a loud thud, she tilted her head and saw Tom’s back. So cold and distant, his usual behavior this past week, “Can’t stay, huh? Or won’t stay?”

Finally Tom took a proper look at his girlfriend. Carla’s eyes met him but she didn’t see the man she fell in love with. And she was sure that feeling was mutual. Tom didn’t see the old Carla, that aspiring ballerina from New York had been long gone. He just didn’t want to admit that yet,“Carla, I am leaving soon. Please don’t make this more complicated than it already is.”

“Is this what you call us now? Complicated? Are you getting tired of me? Years of relationship mean nothing for you?” Carla decided to lay bare the truth. This man need to stop ignoring the truth, he had to face whether he like it or not.

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose, “Carla. Please. Don’t you get tired of fighting?”

Carla scoffed. His ignorance never ceased to amaze her. “You bet I am. That’s why I demand answer. Unlike you, I cannot run away to another side of the world!”

“I’ve told you countless time already. Marvel chose me to do this promotional tour. Me. Loki. Not Chris, not Thor. They trust me to attract viewers from that burgeoning Asian market. They trust me to promote this franchise. This is something big and I will be a fool if I don’t take this offer!” his hand pointed at his chest, emphasizing his point.

With a bitter laugh, Carla dismissed Tom, having enough of their pointless argument, “Sure you do, Tom. Let your secret ballerina girlfriend moped around her place, regretting her injury.”

“Carla …”

His stride towards her was cut short with a honking sound from his car. He looked torn, between reaching out to his girlfriend and solved their problem or get in the car as soon as possible and leaving her behind. Meanwhile, Carla took that honk sound as her opportunity to get rid of Tom as soon as possible.

“Leave, Tom.”

Tom did as she asked, as he walked away and closed the door behind his back. Without taking a second glance at Carla, he didn’t see the lone tear that trickled down her cheek or how she bit down her lips as she held back her sob. No. He didn’t do that, not anymore. It was one of the worst scenarios imaginable as to how the goodbye would play out. She realized a kiss or even a hug was already out of question. But still she expected something from him. His warm gaze would be more than enough. But no. She did not get any of that. All she got was his retreating back, cold and distant, unreachable even as he headed out to catch his flight out of London to another city thousand miles away from her.

***

Travelling between three different countries in less than two weeks drained almost all of Tom’s energy. And he was just glad to be back home, in London, and had several days off before heading to the world premiere of The Dark World, attending the premiere at Los Angeles, as well as several European countries. As much as he enjoyed that, sometimes he just needed a day or two for rest and repercussion. His last tour in South Korea have blown his mind away, he still processing those fans that have been waiting for him at Incheon nor did he believe those who watched him at that shopping mall. Never in his wildest imagination he would have got this far, and he would be forever grateful for it.

With his backpack on his shoulder, he pushed the trolley through the exit door, and glad to be greeted with a deserted waiting area, with no photographers around. He waited patiently for his driver, turning his phone back on while he waited. With his hectic schedule in Seoul, he didn’t get the chance to turn on or check his phone for almost three days. It didn’t surprise him when he received several texts and voice mails from his friends. What shocked him was the content of each message.

_Thomas, where are you, mate? Carla is in hospital. Please, call us soon - Nicholas_

_Tom. There’s been an accident, Carla is in hospital. Her situation is pretty bad - Elli_

_Tom. I know it’s late already in Seoul, but please return our calls – Elli_

Then he decided to play the first voice message he got, it was from Elli. Of course, it was Elli who always figured her way around a crisis, he mused as he pressed play, “Good God, Tom, your girlfriend is in the hospital right now. She needs you. I know things aren’t exactly pretty between you two right now, no matter how hard you try to hide it from us during our last dinner together. But please, be the man that she fell in love with at the first place. Please be here, soon,” Elli’s soft voice wavered as she pleaded for his return.

The next voice message belonged to Nick, the panic on his voice was unmistakable, “Hiddleston, you know I don’t have the money to send a private jet over to South Korea to pick you up. But I know enough expletives to throw at you, and you know how potty my mouth is at times. Jesus, just return our call, won’t you. She is at her flat, mate. You better go there.”

His iPhone almost hit the gravel his hands grew week, panic began to settling in inside his mind, replacing his tiredness. When his car finally arrived, he quickly put her luggage inside the trunk then told his driver to take him to Carla’s flat instead of his home.

“Carla, what happened?” Tom barged into her flat, finding Carla on her couch. She was sitting with her knees close to her chest, eyes fixed into the empty wall in front of her. Her long blonde hair was gone, it was now a short bob that framed her oval face and she wore her favorite NYU-purple jacket.

A hollow laugh slip from her lips, without facing Tom, Carla answered with a monotonous voice like a broken record, “I went to the studio to do simple move. A jump then I landed in a wrong position, breaking my ankle. I’ll never dance again, Tom. No more ballet for the ballerina.”

Tom attempted to reach for his girlfriend. His mouth began to sound his apology, “Carla, I am sorry.”

“You’re right this is your fault,” she countered, still not looking at him.

Her words felt like a stab to his chest, stunned him to silence. Slowly Carla faced him, looking straight into his clear blue eyes that were now filled with pain and maybe regret. Too late, Carla pondered. Carla sighed, attempting to explain her outburst.

“I am sorry, that was harsh. I broke my ankle, I was in the hospital for two nights then they discharged me. I can’t dance anymore, Tom. Then I watched your stints while promoting The Dark World, Tom. And it makes me angry. At first, I questioned myself was I jealous of your fame or your fans? Then I realized I am not jealous of either of them. The problem is you and your raise to stardom. That forced me to face my situation, a polar opposite from your current situation. Deep down, I wanted to support you. But I can’t, not when I can’t even stand properly on my two feet.”

Tom tried to console his girlfriend, feeling partly responsible for the accident, “Carla, if I know I’ll end my job at Seoul and head back home immediately.”

“But you don’t and you can’t! Because I am that secret girlfriend. Marvel will allow you to leave that tour because of pressing matter with family members only. Tom Hiddleston ending his promotional tour early because of his secret girlfriend isn’t a nice headline to go along with an upcoming blockbuster movie,” Carla was almost hysterical now.

He tried to apologize once more, “I am sorry for the pain I’ve put you through, Carla.”

Carla shook her head and with trembling lips she voiced her thought that has been waiting to be said since Tom left her for his promotional tour with Marvel, “It’s too late for that, Tom. I can’t do this anymore.”

Tom couldn’t believe - or more like he didn’t want to believe - the words Carla just said. He struggled with his next question, one thing that’s rarely happened to him, “What do you mean?”

“I am breaking up with you. We’re done, Tom,” No longer hiding her tears, Carla choked out, “I am sorry.”

Tom walked closer towards the couch in which Carla has been seated during their entire conversation. Seeing his movement, Carla pulled herself in. Tom didn’t miss a beat, he watched her pulled herself away from him, and it hurt him, “Wait a second, Carla. Let’s calm down first.”  
With the back of her hand, Carla wiped off her tears, “Calm down? No, Tom. You have to see what’s happening between us. I am tired of being that secret girlfriend, of hearing you saying you’re single all the time. It makes me feel like some kind of whore.”

He winced when he heard the word Carla used to call herself, “Don’t call yourself that, Carla.”

“Then why don’t you tell them from the beginning?! Oh, the great length you and your team do to hide me from the press. Stunning, Tom. You know what will happen if you make a statement about me now? Tom Hiddleston is dating a crippled ballerina. I’ll just look like another charity work for you,” Carla spat out.

“Christ. Carla, stop degrading yourself!”

“Enough of your pity, Tom. I am leaving. I am doing this because I love you.”

Time stood still between them, Tom looked at Carla. Her shoulders were shaking, although she still maintained her eye contact with him. There’s no light inside those eyes, not anymore. Tom should have known better to put out the fire from the beginning, Tom. Now the fire was too big, and it consumed everything until there’s nothing left to salvage

Blinking back his tears, Tom pleaded, “If you love me, don’t leave. Stay. Take your time, whatever you need, I’ll wait.”

“I can’t Thomas. Being around you during this time, with my condition, watching you prepped your work for Coriolanus is too suffocating for me. It serves as a constant reminder of what I’ve lost,” Carla confessed in between her sobs.

Tom breathed out, “I love you, Carla. Does that even mean something?”

“Yes, and don’t ever think for a second that it doesn’t. It used to mean everything to me, Tom. If you love me too, Tom, then please, set me free.”

His tears could not be stopped now as he tried to plead one last time to her, to give them a second chance, “Please, Carla. I’ll give you everything, just don’t do this to us. Please.”

“Just let me go, Tom, please. If you love me, let me go. Because being with you now won’t make me feel better, and I don’t think it will ever make me better again. I know it’s painful at first, but sooner or later, the pain will be gone and we’ll find someone else.”

Carla grabbed her crutches, fumbling with them a bit before she put those crutches under her armpit. Then she navigated her way to come face to face with Tom, “I’m sorry, Tom. I love you, truly. It’s just not that kind of love anymore,” She smiled bitterly, before landed a soft peck on his tear-stained cheek. She hobbled around the flat with her crutches once more, before entering the room, shutting the door shut. She left Tom alone, once and for all.

Tom stay rooted on his place a while, watching Carla locking the door to her bedroom, and then he sighed. Admitting his lost out loud to the empty room, “I love you too, Carla. And goodbye.”


End file.
